Additive Manufacturing in Product Development: Interview with Noah McNeely from Product QuickStart

Product QuickStart, headquartered in Lawrenceville, Georgia, specializes in product development, engineering, design, prototyping, and manufacturing services tailored for small to mid-sized companies, entrepreneurs, and startups.  A significant aspect of their offerings is the integration of 3D printing into their prototyping and production processes. In an interview with 3Druck.com, cofounder Noah McNeely discusses the impact of additive manufacturing on product development, its benefits for startups, and its challenges in scaling to mass production.

With 3D printing, Product QuickStart helps clients accelerate product iterations, test functional prototypes, and refine designs before full-scale production. The ability to quickly adjust and improve a product based on real-world testing reduces development costs and time-to-market. This is particularly beneficial for startups and small businesses that need to validate concepts efficiently without committing to expensive tooling early in the process.

Beyond prototyping, Product QuickStart leverages 3D printing for low-volume production runs. This approach is advantageous for clients seeking to minimize initial investment costs or those targeting niche markets where large inventories are unnecessary. The flexibility of additive manufacturing allows for on-demand production, reducing lead times and inventory requirements.

The team at Product QuickStart applies decades of experience developing and launching products for major global brands such as The Home Depot, Procter & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Company, and Black & Decker. However, unlike traditional product development firms, Product QuickStart is structured to serve startups and small businesses that often operate with limited budgets. By combining cost-effective, streamlined development processes with deep industry expertise, the company enables smaller clients to efficiently bring their ideas to market. This approach ensures that even businesses with constrained resources can access high-quality product development and manufacturing services, helping them compete effectively in their respective industries.

Interview with Noah McNeely

In his interview with 3Druck.com, Noah McNeely, Co-founder and Principal of Product QuickStart, discusses how additive manufacturing has transformed product development, especially for startups and small businesses. He highlights its role in rapid prototyping, niche product manufacturing and mass customization, while also addressing challenges such as misconceptions about scaling to mass production. He also shares insights on the accessibility of 3D printing technology and its potential future impact on various industries.

In your view, how has additive manufacturing transformed the product development process?

There are three main ways that I’ve seen in my customer base (which is typically the startup space and the entrepreneur space—that’s my specialty).

– Additive manufacturing allows for cheaper, earlier, faster, and more iterative prototyping—but this is kind of an old answer at this point because it’s been the case for at least 20 years.

– Additive manufacturing allows clients to launch very niche, yet high-margin product businesses in which final products are made using additive manufacturing. As an example, I have a friend who runs about 20 high-speed 3D printers manufacturing products for a specific niche in the automotive care space. It’s not a billion-dollar business, but it’s profitable (he was able to quit his regular job) and it’s growing.

– Additive manufacturing allows for mass customization on a small-to-medium scale, especially when combined with subtractive methods like machining. It’s also a great way to make mold masters for casting limited-run items (like figurines, etc.).

Additive manufacturing has advanced significantly in recent years. Which innovations or technological breakthroughs do you consider particularly transformative for product development?

For my market space, the most significant development is that the technology has matured to the point where costs have made it much more accessible. In 2004, my previous company paid $20,000 for a machine. Now, I’ve got $1,000 machines in my shop, each one capable of running circles around that old machine.

What are the biggest challenges startups and small businesses encounter when launching a new product, and how does 3D printing help address them?

That question really asks for a book-length answer, but I’ll pick a few key points.

– Not understanding whether their solution works or can be improved—additive manufacturing allows for iterative prototyping and refinement of the design.

– Not understanding the needs of the market—additive manufacturing allows them to put versions in front of consumers for evaluation.

– This is one area where additive manufacturing can actually hurt startups—not understanding mass manufacturing processes. Some people falsely assume that anything that can be 3D printed can be molded, machined, cast, or otherwise mass-produced. When we use additive manufacturing (except in early concept stages), we build parts that reflect mass manufacturing constraints. For example, even though draft angles aren’t needed in additive manufacturing, if we are developing a product for injection molding, we add the draft to the design before engaging in additive manufacturing.

Looking ahead, what impact do you foresee additive manufacturing having on various industries and possibly on society as a whole?

I am intrigued by some of the specialization happening in the field. The ability to 3D print with organic or biocompatible materials has a lot of promise for the medical device and implant industry. Advances in metal additive manufacturing and similar processes could also have a strong impact on various industries.

I think the biggest opportunities moving forward will come from the creative combination of additive manufacturing with other processes and materials to achieve things that additive manufacturing alone cannot do.

Society as a whole may see an increasing availability of customizable items at affordable prices. Imagine walking into a luggage store and walking out with a travel case that has your name, address, or other details permanently built into it using plastic or metal. Or imagine walking into an optometrist’s office, having your face and head scanned, and walking out with prescription glasses fitted precisely to your anatomy.

Here you can find further information on Product QuickStart.